Hat



July 12,1927.

J. H. BOWDITCH HAT Filed Dec. 10. 1925 Patented July 12, 1927.

JAMES HQBOWDITQH, OF'BROOKLINE,MAfSSACHUSETTSi HAT.

Applicatio'n filed December 10,1925. Serial No. 743483.

This invention relates to hats, caps and the like and is intends-(l teprovide an-interior hat band of such-constructionand. material as totend to prevent accidental removalof the hat from the head of thewearer, while reducing to a minimum the absorption and accumulation ofperspiration thereby preventing discoloration of the hat body.

Hats are commonly provided with so called sweat bands made of leatherpresenting a smooth surface against the head which allows a hat unlessfitted very tightly to be blown off easily by gusts of wind. On theother hand a tight-fitting hat is uncomfortable to wear besides beingunhygienic because of its impeding circulation of blood in the scalp.Furthermore leather readily absorbs and retains perspiration andtransmits it; to the hat body.

The present invention overcomes these faults by providing first a hatband of a material which opposes no resistance to putting the hat on thehead but which so grips or engages the hair and scalp as toautomatically afford yielding resistance to the accidental removal ofthe hat, and secondby utilizing a material that is both agreeable to thesense of touch and yet possessing very little or no absorbentproperties.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an embodiment of theprinciples of this invention as applied to an ordinary soft felt hat formens wear, but it will be understood that the improvement is applicabletoall kinds of headwear and the term hat is used in the broadly genericsense to cover hats, caps and the like.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hat provided with my improvedinterior band.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through said hat to illustrate thepreferred arrangement of pile threads or spines.

In the form of hat illustrated in the drawings, 1 indicates the hollowbody of the hat and 2 the usual hat-band. The external band 3 may bemade of the usual material and applied in the usual way.

In place of the usual leather so-called sweat-band, I cut out,preferably from a piece of mohair plush, a band 4 of appropriate lengthand width to be secured around the inside marginal portion of the hatbody.

,1. The pile fabric, whether mohair plush or other suitable pilefabric.preferably has short inclined cutpile threads, anct the. band is so:out: andso applied to the interior of the:

hat body that the pike threadspoint up war'clly-z toward the crown; and.away from the lower edge of the hat body. This upward inclination of thepile threads presents a series of elastic yielding gripping spines whlchopposes no resistance to putting the hat on the head but afford a verydecided resistance to the accidental removal of the hat by reason of theinclined spines gripping the head of the wearer, so that any tendeneyofthe hat to lift causes the spines to act like a series of closelyarranged elastic hooks which tend to turn inwardly as the hat lifts,thereby momentarily increasing the gripping action and thus increasingthe elastic resistance to the removal of the hat. As the gripping actionis greatest at the hair covered portion of the scalp, the raising of theforward portion of the hat which engages the forehead meets with lessresistance, and consequently does not make it noticeably difficulty toraise the hat when the front of the brim is grasped and lifted.

The hat band may be secured in place either by a coating of adhesivecement applied to'the back of the pile fabric, or by a row of stitchesattaching it to the edge or marginal portion of the hat body, or byusing both means of attachment.

property as compared with the usual leather hat band, its pile threadsmay be easily given an oblique inclination and have suflicient stiffnessand elasticity to function for an. indefinite period, while at the sametime presenting a very agreeable sensation to the sense of touch.Furthermore, should the hat band of this material become soiled it' maybe easilywashed Without injury by means of a cloth or sponge dipped inclear or soapy water. i 7

By reason of the elasticity of the pile threads or spines it isunnecessary, when sele cting'a hat, to select a very snug fitting hat.The pile threads produce a sufficient sepa ration. of the solid portionof the hat body orband from the head to permit a'slight ventilation,while at the same time resisting it shall be tight fitting.

the lifting of the hat without requiring that What I claim is:

1. A hat embracing a bodyof suitable form for the head and an interiorband seecured around the inside edge portion of the hat body, said bandbeing provided with closely arranged short spines of mohair inclinedtoward the crown and forming a yielding gripping engagement with thehead of the wearer to'resist accidental removal of the hat from thehead.

' 2. A hat embracing a hollow body and an of mohair plush adapted to besecured in- 7 side the hat body with its pile threads projectinginwardly to form a yielding relatively nonabsorbent cushion against thehead of the wearer.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

JAMES H. BOWDITCH.

